Nonwoven tack cloths or wipes are used in various industries for trapping dust, dirt, pathogens, and other foreign particulates. For instance, in the automotive and aviation industries, tack cloths are used during painting to pick up foreign particulates from the surfaces being painted, and it is important that no residue or lint is left behind on the surface so that the painted surfaces have a smooth, even finish. For instance, if residue from the tack cloth is left on the wiped surface, the tackiness of the residue can attract particulates, which can create imperfections in the paint finish. It is also important that no residue is left on the hands of the user of the tack cloth, as such residue could be transferred to other surfaces and cause further imperfections on those surfaces. Tack cloths are also used in hospital settings such as operating rooms, where it is important that pathogens trapped by the tack cloth remain trapped to reduce the likelihood that such pathogens could be introduced to the patient via an open wound or body cavity. Further, it is critical that particulates or lint from the cloth itself not be discharged during use, as such particulates or lint can also be introduced to an open wound or body cavity, resulting in infection or inflammation. Such traits are also desirable in wipes used in any clean room environment, whether it be in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, or semiconductor industries, where environmental monitoring requires that air particulate counts be kept below a minimal level based on the clean room class rating.
Various attempts have been made at producing tack cloths having high particulate holding capacity that when, after use, leave minimal lint and/or residue on the surface on which they were used. For instance, tack cloths have been produced that utilize a tackifier, where a nonwoven material is made and then treated with a tackifier, such as by coating, spraying, or dipping/squeezing methods where the tackifier is in solution form. However, such methods of incorporating a tackifier into a nonwoven web material or wipe can limit the points of contact between the fibers of the nonwoven web material and the tackifier, and it is difficult to ensure that the tackifier has been coated uniformly on the nonwoven web material fibers, which can reduce the dust holding capacity of the tack cloth. In addition, when the tackifier or adhesive is coated on the wipe, the coating can transfer to the user's hands during use such that the user's hands are covered with a sticky residue, which is undesirable because the residue can be transferred to surfaces touched by the user and can also be uncomfortable to the user. Further, using a tackifier in coating form can increase the stiffness of the nonwoven web material.
As such, what is needed is a nonwoven web material that can be used as a wipe or tack cloth, where the tackifier is uniformly dispersed to increase the amount of particulates that can be trapped by the wipe or tack cloth. What is also needed is a wipe or tack cloth that emits low levels of lint and that does not leave a residue or streaks on a surface after the surface has been wiped or cleaned.